MOSCOW, April 25./TASS/. Instruments of arms control and non-proliferation have been practically wrecked, apart from the New Start Treaty, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in an interview with the Bolshaya Igra (The Great Game) political talk show on Channel One on Monday.

"All other [except New Start] instruments of control over arms and [their] non-proliferation were practically destroyed, there is no missile defense treaty, no treaty on short and intermediate-range missiles," the top diplomat said.

The foreign minister said that the decision of US President Joe Biden to support Moscow’s offer to extend the New Start Treaty for another five years was "very good and wise". He also sees as "rather useful" a dialogue Russia had with the US on the future of the treaty, since it exposed major differences.

"We were ready and began to discuss with the Americans what will happen in five years, now it is in four years, after this agreement expires, since everyone assumes that this is the last extension. And two rounds of negotiations, in July and in September, were useful," Lavrov stressed. "Then we had working contacts and they allowed us to understand that we have major differences. And these differences are clear now to us and to the Americans," he noted. Lavrov also mentioned the Treaty on Open Skies, that also "fell into oblivion", leaving the New Start the only instrument of arms control.

Kiev is imitating negotiations process with Moscow, Lavrov said.

"They imitate negotiations," he said.

Weapons, shipped by the West to Ukraine, will become a legitimate target for Russian Armed Forces, Lavrov said.

"Of course, these weapons will be a legitimate target for Russian Armed Forces involved in the special operation," he said.

According to Lavrov, weapons depots in western Ukraine have already become such targets repeatedly.

"How else could it be? If NATO effectively enters war with Russia via a proxy and arms this proxy - then all is fair in love and war. By the way, as for arms shipment - this is yet another example of the Americans’ uncleanliness in terms of international law and in terms of their introduction of their own rules under the principle ‘I do as I please’," he said.